News

The legal team that fought to find the truth for the family of murdered Annette Mason has been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2019 Queensland Civil Justice Award (CJA) in recognition of their unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice.

The alleged actions of both the police and the informants involved in the Royal Commission into the Management of Informants have undermined faith in our justice system, according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Politicians need to take advice from health professionals, not police, on the question of pill testing, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today following reservations expressed by Health Minister Michael Ferguson.

The Banking Royal Commission report contains several specific recommendations that will ‘level the playing field’ for consumers, which has been skewed against them for too long, and will deter industry misconduct, said the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) welcomed the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee’s recommendation to pass the Queensland Bill of Rights saying that the legislation is expected to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society.

The draft Life Insurance Code of Practice tabled by the Financial Services Council (FSC) still fails to adequately protect consumers from excessive scrutiny of their medical records, harmful surveillance and forced ‘doctor-shopping’, according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Criminal and law enforcement responses to the use of illicit drugs at music festivals are failing, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today in a letter sent to the NSW Premier calling for the implementation of pill testing trials.

The draft life insurance Code of Practice tabled by the Financial Services Council (FSC) is still not legally binding and does not deliver on key issues raised in the Financial Services Royal Commission, according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

The Queensland Bill of Rights legislation will make a substantial difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA), but there are opportunities to make the Bill stronger and more effective.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has strongly criticised calls from RACQ and Suncorp for changes to Queensland’s Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme that would see less benefits for injured motorists.

The national peak body for plaintiff lawyers has called for the removal of exemptions in the Sex Discrimination Act so that every child can safely attend any school without experiencing discrimination based on their sexuality or gender orientation.

Insurers must be prevented from unfairly denying claims based on unrelated pre-existing health conditions and restricted from accessing medical records dating back more than five years prior to the policy inception, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Tasmanians are being billed by police to view the evidence of their criminal and traffic offence charges which is both unfair and out of line with the rest of Australia, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

The proposed ACT Motor Accidents Insurance (MAI) Bill will not provide proper compensation to injured motorists and will shift the balance of power in favour of the insurers, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Clear facts-sheets and a ratings system are needed to make it easier for consumers to understand the costs and benefits of the death and disability insurance within their superannuation, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

“As the Government officially apologises to the many people who have suffered as a result of institutional sexual assault, we also acknowledge their pain and their courage,” said Ms Noor Blumer, President, Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Extensive delays, complex bureaucracy and difficulties surrounding the appeals and review process are making it impossible for people to have fair and equal access to the NDIS in NSW, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

People injured in motor vehicle or cycling accidents on Victorian roads, and their families, will have better access to compensation after amendments to the Transport Accident Act (TAA) passed the Victorian Parliament late last week.

No type of detention facility should be exempt from independent inspections under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment (OPCAT), the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has recommended in a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Investing substantial funds into community legal assistance services and reviewing the resourcing needs of the whole judiciary system, as recommended by the Law Council of Australia’s Justice Project, will help make Australia’s legal system significantly more accessible, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Lawyers are urging the State Regulatory Insurance Authority (SIRA) to urgently publish data regarding complaints against insurance companies made by injured motorists since changes to the NSW CTP scheme were introduced.

The proposed Modern Slavery Act lacks the authority to effectively combat modern slavery or forced labour practices, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has told the Inquiry into the Modern Slavery Bill (2018).

Mobility scooters are vital for many people with disabilities enabling them to be independent and active participants in our community but can currently ‘fall through the gaps’ in the insurance system, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

NSW has advanced the position of victims significantly by adopting legal changes that will apply retrospectively and will improve access to justice for abuse survivors, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA), commenting on the announcement made by the NSW government on the weekend.

Amendments to the Transport Accident Act introduced to Parliament today bring the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) a step closer to being the world’s leading social insurer, according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Using migration law to restrict freedom of speech is simply not acceptable, said the Australian Lawyers Alliance today commenting on the delay in granting Dark + Dangerous Thoughts speaker a visa to enter Australia.

People with past criminal convictions or abused in immigration detention should not be denied access to redress payments under the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sex Abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Commonwealth’s failure to increase funding to resources-strapped Community Legal Centres (CLCs) means that people with legitimate personal injury or compensation claims are more likely than ever to simply give up on seeking justice through the legal system, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A first-of-its-kind legal practice specifically for women who are in or at risk of entering the criminal justice system has been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2018 Victoria Civil Justice Award (CJA).

A major funding increase for mental health services and the justice system, announced in today’s Budget, will help to support some of the most vulnerable members of our society, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Hon Marilyn L Warren AC QC,will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual Victoria State Conference being held at the seaside town of Lorne next week.

Footage showing an alleged brutal assault by a number of Victoria police officers on a vulnerable, unarmed disability pensioner is extremely disturbing, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Department of Home Affairs has pushed to exclude non-citizens from any eligibility for redress for institutional child abuse as it says its ‘financial exposure to liability under the Redress Scheme is likely to increase significantly’, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

Unnecessarily strict eligibility requirements mean that many of the most vulnerable survivors of institutional child abuse in New South Wales and Victoria will miss out on accessing the Commonwealth’s Redress Scheme, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A lawyer who has consistently fought for the rights of some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged women in the criminal justice system has been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2018 Queensland Civil Justice Award (CJA).

Former Justice of the High Court of Australia, the Hon Justice Ian Callinan AC,will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual QLD State Conference being held on the Gold Coast later this month.

The federal government’s proposed redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse will exclude the most vulnerable victims of abuse, conflicting with the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and saving the government money, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Legislative protection for journalists, free speech and whistleblowers is a crucial step in ensuring that public interest journalism can survive and even thrive, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Commonwealth’s ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) this week is a significant step forward in the protection of human rights in Australia and those of asylum seekers held in its detention facilities. To fully implement its obligations, the government must extend OPCAT’s application to offshore detention facilities, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Catholic Church’s vigorous court defence of claims of historical child sexual abuse has exposed its earlier promises not to exploit legal technicalities as completely worthless, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

It is crucial that any Royal Commission into the banking sector has sufficiently broad terms of reference to deal with the full extent of issues which may be uncovered relating to banking misconduct, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Closing Manus Island detention centre without ensuring that residents have a safe place to go presents an urgent risk of a humanitarian crisis, directly conflicting with Australia’s obligations under work health and safety legislation and international law, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Draconian counter-terrorism powers such as warrantless searches and preventative detention orders do little to enhance security and serve only to further marginalise people, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Federal government’s proposed redress scheme for survivors of institutional child abuse will be welcomed by the community, however it needs improvement to provide justice for all people affected, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Two people who spent months in a remote Indonesian province while seeking justice for victims of an Australian oil spill have been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2017 Civil Justice Award.

Voluntary euthanasia laws passed today by the lower house of the Victorian parliament will ensure much needed legal oversight and certainty for people in need, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has welcomed the Productivity Commission’s call to delay the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), saying that there are concerns about the pace of the scheme’s implementation.

If a driverless car is involved in an accident, who is at fault? These and other questions will be hot topics of discussion at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual National Conference being held in Darwin this month.

By criticising lawyers seeking to assist refugees and asylum seekers, Minister Dutton is seeking to evade the government’s responsibilities, undermining accountability and the rule of law, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today welcomed legislative changes introduced into the Queensland Parliament to strengthen the State’s work, health and safety laws, including tougher penalties and offences for workplace fatalities.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today welcomed Chief Minister Barr’s announcement that the ACT’s first citizen’s jury would soon be arranged to consider reform to the Territory’s Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme.

The recommendations contained in the report into criminal justice released yesterday by the Royal Commission into institutional child abuse are helpful in many respects but have fallen short in some key areas, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Commonwealth’s move to amend the Border Force Act by removing outrageous secrecy provisions for detention camp employees is a welcome but overdue move, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Comcare must act immediately to ensure that the Commonwealth does not breach workplace safety laws by forcing people out of the Manus Island detention centre into unsafe, or potentially dangerous accommodation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Federal government proposals to combine Australian security agencies into a single ‘national security super-agency’ must also include strengthened human rights protections for all people in Australia, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The implicit admission by the Commonwealth that it is responsible for the unlawful suffering of nearly 2000 asylum seekers on Manus Island means that they must be evacuated from the island as soon as possible, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Commonwealth Ministers’ criticism of Victorian terrorism rulings is extremely concerning, as it attacks the fundamental separation of powers underpinning the Australian system of justice, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Making it harder for a person convicted of terror offences to get parole will merely increase the risk that they will reoffend when eventually released, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Politicians calling to restrict parole for people convicted of terror offences would do better to examine the link between harsh conditions in detention and increasing the likelihood of radicalisation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today welcomed a Queensland Government plan to introduce a new offence of ‘negligence causing death’ which it said will significantly strengthen regulation and compliance around workplace health and safety in the state.

The call by a United Nations (UN) expert for an Australian human rights act reminds us that fundamental human rights in Australia are not protected by a Bill of Rights, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A legal service responsible for vulnerable Aboriginal children being transferred from adult prison back into youth detention facilities has been presented with the Victorian Civil Justice Award (CJA), the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Federal budget commitments to sustainably fund the NDIS, scrap funding cuts to community legal support, increase bank accountability and fund a redress scheme for survivors of institutional sexual abuse have been welcomed today by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

A billion-dollar investment in community safety by the Andrews government will protect thousands of women and children in Victoria from the damage caused by family or domestic violence, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today called out the actions of Queensland insurer RACQ as a disingenuous attempt to undermine the important review process currently underway into Queensland’s Comprehensive Third Party (CTP) scheme.

Chair of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual NSW Conference being held at Darling Harbour this Friday.

A review into Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act has shown that the country’s racial discrimination laws are working well and that there is no reason to alter the current legislation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Handing control of the South Australian workers compensation scheme to private insurers would prioritise insurer profits ahead of injured workers’ rights, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Three lawyers who successfully fought for improvements in medical care for people being held in Australian offshore detention facilities following the death of a detainee been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) Queensland 2017 Civil Justice Award (CJA).

Catholic priest and human rights lawyer Father Frank Brennan SJ AOwill be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual Queensland Conference being held on the Gold Coast next week.

Ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) has the potential to radically improve conditions in detention in Australia and offshore, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Placing Corrections Victoria staff from adult jails in charge of juvenile inmates could lead to situations similar to those exposed in the Don Dale juvenile detention Royal Commission, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Children who are being detained in adult jails may be entitled to bring a claim for false imprisonment, following a ruling in the Victorian Supreme Court, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Proposals by the Royal Commission into child abuse to weaken the evidence rules and reduce the protections for the accused could irreparably undermine the rule of law in Australia, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has called on Australia to implement binding migrant protections in the face of wide-ranging human rights infringements, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The introduction of a class-action regime and removal of limitations periods for child sexual abuse in Queensland is a welcome development, which fixes a gap in state law and provides a greater path to justice for Queenslanders, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The redress scheme proposed by the Commonwealth government is a step in the right direction, although victims of institutional child sexual abuse will not receive justice if major flaws are not addressed, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has today published a report recommending that Australia adopt the most draconian counter-terrorism laws in the world, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The proposed Superannuation Industry Working Group and development of a Code of Practice (CoP) for the life insurance component in superannuation is a welcome development, but one that should have occurred much sooner, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Turnbull Government's proposal to ban any person who arrives by boat in Australian territory from exercising their right under the Refugees Convention to claim asylum is likely to be scrutinised critically by the High Court and could be ruled unconstitutional, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today called for the immediate resignation of Federal Attorney-General George Brandis, in light of this week's resignation of Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson SC.

An organisation working day in and day out to provide independent, free legal advice and assistance to people who were victims of institutional child sexual abuse has been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2016 Civil Justice Award.

The Australian Government should heed concerns voiced by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders about the constitutionality of Australian secrecy laws that stifle freedom of speech and fail to protect whistleblowers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The evidence of crimes committed against asylum seekers being held on Manus and Nauru by the Turnbull Government is compelling and should be investigated immediately by the Federal Police, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Human Rights Commission President Professor Gillian Triggs will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual National Conference being held in Port Douglas next week.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has renewed its call for a Royal Commission into the Australian banking system after the parliamentary inquiry failed to properly examine the systemic issues plaguing the industry.

Identified failings in the sale of life insurance products by Australian banks will not be properly addressed unless the Australian Banking Association expands its review of product sales commissions and product based payments, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Nauru files detailing large-scale abuse of detainees in offshore detention camps on Nauru show that Comcare, the Commonwealth workplace regulator, must prosecute for offences, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today welcomed the State Government’s announcement that it will introduce a class actions regime, with the measure an important step in improving access to justice and legal rights in Queensland.

ALA Queensland President Michelle James has welcomed new Queensland legislation to remove time limits on institutional abuse claims, saying it will give survivors renewed hope that they can access justice.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance said today that the Turnbull Government had missed a once in a generation opportunity to deal with the inherent racism of the Australian legal system towards Indigenous people.

The Australian Border Force Act 2015 (Cth) undermines our constitutional freedoms. The Australian Lawyers Alliance supports Doctors for Refugees and Fitzroy Legal Service bringing this problem to the High Court.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today offered its strong support for the announcement of a Royal Commission into juvenile detention, following reports of appalling and sickening torture and ill treatment within juvenile detention in the Northern Territory.

The NSW Government has announced the intention to radically reform the NSW Green Slip scheme to limit benefits, ignore those with moderate-severity injuries, and exclude lawyers from representing 90% of the injured

Criminal offences may have been committed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIPB) or its contractors against people being held in immigration detention, according to a recent report released by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

Reports that a mentally ill detainee on Manus Island was sent to prison instead of receiving medical treatment indicates that workplace health and safety law continues to be flouted in immigration detention.

Widespread sexual and physical abuse, self-harm, suicide attempts and deaths in immigration detention are not being adequately investigated, pointing to a need for legislative reform, according to a report released by the ALA this week.

Queenslanders will now have access to the best injury insurance scheme in the country, with a Bill passed today by State Parliament that will cover a current gap in coverage whilst also protecting rights.

An advocacy group which placed pressure on the public company contracted to run Australia’s offshore detention camps by targeting its investor base has been named the winner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) Victoria 2016 Civil Justice Award.

Asylum seekers are highly likely to successfully claim damages from the Australian government following a ruling by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Supreme Court, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Queensland Parliament has an important opportunity this week to legislate to deliver Australia’s best injury insurance scheme for people catastrophically injured in motor vehicle accidents, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Legislation restoring compensation rights for people in Victoria who suffer serious psychological injuries as a result of motor vehicle accidents is a worthy amendment which will protect the rights of the vulnerable, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

State and territory governments should urgently introduce legislation that forces institutions such as the Catholic Church to take responsibility for those who were abused as children by the clergy or others associated with the Church, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance has been invited to participate in the establishment of a New South Wales Comprehensive Third Party (CTP) Taskforce, to investigate aberrant claim behaviour and an unusual increase in personal injury claims in the CTP Scheme.

The NSW government’s plan to remove limitation periods for redress for victims of institutional child abuse is a major step forward in the fight for justice for these victims, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance welcomes the partial restoration of rights to ongoing income support and medical expenses for police officers who are injured in the line of duty and who have not been able to return to work within two years of their injury.

A solicitor who has been a passionate advocate for injured workers and defender of common law rights for decades has been declared the winner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) Queensland Civil Justice Award.

Special Counsel Bret Walker SC, the Federal-Government-appointed independent national security legislation monitor, will be the keynote speaker at the 18th Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual Queensland State Conference.

Any decision to send the children of asylum seekers to offshore detention from the Australian mainland would constitute a breach of the Immigration Minister’s duty of care as well as the Commonwealth’s own Workplace Health & Safety laws, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The SA Law Society and Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) have expressed grave concern that next year’s compulsory review of the CTP scheme will be a meaningless exercise unless it is conducted before the planned privatisation of the CTP scheme.

The refusal of a Catholic bishop to rule out using the Ellis Defence as a legal tactic against victims of child abuse directly contradicts earlier Catholic Church pronouncements that it would take responsibility for the conduct of its clergy, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has urged journalists and other public commentators discussing the Alliance to take care not to mistakenly create confusion with regards to other organisations which also use the ALA acronym.

An announcement today from the Qld State Government to consider options for implementing a National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS) to protect people catastrophically injured in motor vehicle accidents has been commended by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

The New South Wales and Victorian governments are to be congratulated for being the first states to support a national compensation scheme for victims of institutional child sexual abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A commitment by the New South Wales government to abolish limitation periods for victims of child sexual abuse to seek compensation for personal injury is a welcome development in the fight to bring justice and closure for victims, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Two people who done more than many to help curb the security powers of police and security forces and governments have been declared the winners of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) National Civil Justice Award.

The Commonwealth appears to have failed in its duty of care to a 23-year-old detainee rape victim, by neglecting to provide appropriate medical counselling and advice before denying her an abortion, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A Bill proposing to abolish limitation periods for victims of institutional child abuse to seek justice in New South Wales is a welcome development in the fight to bring closure for victims, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A new Private Members Bill mandating the reporting of child abuse in all offshore and onshore detention facilities is not an effective remedy, and would not go far enough to monitor or prevent abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Amendments introduced into the NSW Parliament by NSW MP David Shoebridge would remove a significant barrier obstructing access to justice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has today welcomed the passing of significant workers’ compensation scheme reforms that will see key rights restored for thousands of injured workers across Queensland.

Injured workers in New South Wales have retrospectively been stripped of their right to claim lump-sum compensation despite assurances from the government that changes to the Workers Compensation Act would have no such outcome, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Numerous incidents over the past two years, including allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and assaults of people held on Nauru, do not appear to have been reported to Comcare by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (‘DIBP’), the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Government has failed in its responsibility to investigate the effects of the country’s worst-ever oil spill from an oil rig, from which devastated fishing villages and communities across Indonesia still feel the impact today, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Restricting the standing provisions of Australia’s national Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act would be to the detriment of the rights of ordinary citizens, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Three detention centre guards who were allowed to return to Australia after allegedly drugging and raping a local woman on Manus Island may constitute a cover up of possible criminal activity by the Australian government, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Palaszczuk Government’s announcement to repeal the LNP’s unfair changes to the State’s workers’ compensation scheme will ensure Queensland once again has Australia’s best scheme for workers and employers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A new investigative report released today has called for the Federal Government to negotiate for a full investigation with Indonesia, to pinpoint the cause of economic and environmental devastation experienced by seaside communities in Indonesia following the worst offshore oil spill in Australia’s history.

Workplace insurer Comcare appears to have failed to investigate numerous serious incidents and injuries which occurred at Commonwealth detention centres, according to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request made by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

The Victorian Parliament is to be congratulated for leading the nation in its response to institutional child abuse by introducing legislation removing limitation periods for victims to seek justice, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

New legislation passed by the Parliament last week to evade High Court litigation regarding the validity of regional processing centres is incompatible with Australia’s obligations at law, which it cannot contract or legislate away, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ), the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) and the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) have joined forces in fighting proposed amendments to the Federal workers’ compensation scheme, stating the changes are a ‘retrograde step for Queensland’ that will result in higher and volatile premiums for small business and fewer benefits for the State’s 2.1 million workers.

A last-minute Bill seeking to head off court action challenging the Federal government’s power to fund offshore detention facilities is unconscionable, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Blind reporting of child sex allegations by the Catholic Church may be protecting abusers and those who knew and failed to act, as well as placing the NSW police service in breach of its obligations to the public and potentially of the criminal law, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Injured Australian workers could see their rights and workplace safety severely cut under government plans to slash the federal workers compensation scheme, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Medical professionals working in immigration detention centres should obtain legal advice about their professional liability following new legislation which could gag them from speaking out about poor conditions for detainees, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

State and Territory Governments should reject outright a self-interested report that seeks to hand operational control of workers’ compensation schemes to private insurers and cut the right to compensation of injured workers in every jurisdiction, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The imposition by the Vatican of a system for dealing with misconduct by bishops, including the failure to deal appropriately with abusive priests, is simply inadequate, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The tragic death in police custody of a man arrested under controversial Northern Territory ‘paperless arrest’ legislation highlights the need for authorities to be held accountable for people held in detention, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Comcare’s bungled attempts at legal action over a fatal accident which occurred in the Northern Territory five years ago have further highlighted significant flaws in the agency’s ability to properly manage and respond to workplace deaths, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A recent court decision on workplace safety against a major Comcare licensee is evidence that the federal scheme is failing its core responsibility of regulating workplace safety, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Catholic Church should be utterly ashamed of revelations that it has not abandoned the controversial Ellis Defence to avoid paying compensation to victims of clerical child abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Federal Government has admitted the Comcare scheme is not up to scratch by quietly funding its own parliamentary injury compensation scheme in last night’s Budget, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Victorian Judge in Charge of the Common Law Division of the County Court, His Honour Chris O’Neill, and former National Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Graeme Innes AM will head a high-powered list of speakers at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual State Conference, commencing on Friday 15 May 2015 at 8.30am.

Industrial relations reforms announced today by the Palaszczuk Government will play an important role in helping to strengthen and improve safety scrutiny and oversight on Queensland work sites, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Comments from Federal Public Service Minister Eric Abetz that seek to minimise the impacts of proposed changes to the nation’s Comcare scheme are not only dishonest, they also serve as a further hit on injured workers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A letter alleging that the Australian Government knew children were suffering sexual abuse at the Nauru detention centre is stunning first evidence that the government may have failed to protect detainees from harm, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The expectation that Australians will work past the age of 65 needs to be framed in a long-term vision that finds a sustainable balance between workers compensation, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Centrelink, or risk breaking the system, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Amendments introduced today by the Federal Government to the national workers’ compensation scheme are a further attack on the rights of the nation’s injured workers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has welcomed the NSW Government’s partial backdown over unfair legislation which slashed compensation for victims of crime, but has said that recent and future victims will also be treated unfairly unless further changes are made to the compensation scheme.

The Federal Government’s own review of asylum seekers held in offshore detention centres on Nauru shows that it does have a non-delegable duty of care to people detained and may leave the Commonwealth liable for a swathe of future compensation claims, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A report which revealed thousands of injured employees who lost workers compensation benefits following changes to the scheme has highlighted the need for an urgent review of these amendments, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Arbitrary time limits and cuts to injury and rehabilitation entitlements have no place in a genuine workers compensation scheme which protects workers’ rights, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The ACT government is to be commended for pulling its support from the fundamentally flawed Comcare workplace insurance scheme, demonstrating strong leadership and supporting workers’ rights, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

An extra two dollars a week to insure the average family car is all it would take to give Western Australia the best motor vehicle accident compensation scheme in Australia, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Clear evidence that children being held in immigration detention centres are developing serious mental issues shows the urgency of releasing them into the community as soon as possible, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The scathing findings by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse about the conduct of the Catholic Church and Cardinal Pell in the Ellis matter demonstrate the overwhelming need for law reform, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Families of victims of the MH370 disaster only have one more year in which to bring compensation claims against Malaysia Airlines before time runs out, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Children who are born with cerebral palsy due to medical malpractice may have their rights to sue for their lifetime care and support eliminated under plans being considered by governments, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The forthcoming Queensland State election presents a real opportunity for all sides of politics to restore rights for Queenslanders injured in unsafe workplaces, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Manus Island Report shows clearly that the Australian Government may have breached its duty of care to deceased detainee Reza Berati and could be found negligent for its treatment of asylum seekers detained on Manus Island, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Federal legislation which reintroduces Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) undermines the United Nations Refugee Convention and may in fact be unconstitutional, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Proposed Victoria State government changes to laws on personal injury compensation are good but do not go far enough to correct anomalies and inconsistencies in the legislation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Australians will have no protection against security agencies misusing their personal or private information under proposed legislation governing a mandatory data retention scheme, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Maps released under freedom of information laws indicate oil from the Montara oil spill was located much closer to the Indonesian coast than previously thought, proving the need for an immediate independent study into the disaster, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.​

A man who has led the fight to make the Catholic Church and other institutions accountable for the actions of its clergy and staff has been declared the winner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) National Civil Justice Award.

Key clauses in the Commonwealth’s proposed new Foreign Fighters anti-terror legislation could be unconstitutional as they undermine the separation of powers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Australian Government should commit to negotiate for an independent investigation into the effects of the Montara oil spill following a direct request for assistance from the Indonesia Government, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The rights of people catastrophically injured as the direct result of negligence are under threat if the Commonwealth succeeds in introducing a National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS), the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill lowers the threshold for the arrest of individuals on alleged terrorism offences and will lead to innocent people being arrested and detained, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Australia is already losing the ‘war on terror’ if it starts abandoning principles as fundamentally important as the rule of law and the presumption of innocence, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

An apology and ex-gratia payment to police assault victim Corinna Horvath is a welcome development but much more needs to be done by the Victorian Government to prevent similar situations happening again, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A large group of asylum-seekers currently being ‘round up’ by the Commonwealth are at very real risk of suicide or even death if they are forced to return to their home countries, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Media coverage of the terror raids carried out by Federal Police in Sydney and Brisbane is undermining the presumption of innocence for those individuals questioned or arrested during the proceedings, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

A statutory redress scheme for victims of child sexual abuse would be no substitute for common law rights to seek compensation for institutional abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Communities claiming to be left economically and environmentally devastated by Australia’s worst-ever offshore oil spill are still waiting for justice and an investigation five years on, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Any possibility that the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse may have to conclude prematurely due to inadequate funding is unacceptable, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Catholic Church’s proposal for a national compensation scheme for victims of institutional abuse may not prevent additional bullying of victims of child abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Systemic issues identified in the NSW Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (LTCS) may already be affecting services provided via the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The Commonwealth has spent nearly $3 million on the ‘voluntary return’ of almost 1100 asylum seekers to their country of origin in less than a year, according to information obtained under freedom of information laws by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has supported a call for the Victorian Government to take its international obligations seriously, following the Government’s inaction to rectify breaches of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Allegations that the Department of Immigration tried to cover up mental health problems amongst child-aged asylum seekers constitutes abuse in care and may leave the Commonwealth liable for a swathe of future compensation claims, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

More than 10,000 intellectually-disabled Australian workers risk being collectively short-changed millions of dollars in back pay by contentious new federal legislation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The South Australian Government should invite the Commonwealth Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to investigate allegations of abuse in that state, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The 157 asylum seekers being held on an Australian customs vessel on the high seas are being held in ‘torturous’ conditions which breach international conventions on civil and political rights, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Delaying the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will only generate additional anxiety amongst the very people it is intended to help, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

State authorities should compensate residents and property owners who have been adversely affected by the industrial contamination testing zone in Adelaide, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

State and territory-based workers’ compensation schemes risk being gutted as a result of changes to the Comcare scheme which have been examined by a Senate committee report, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

Changes to the Migration Act introduced into Parliament yesterday by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison are at odds with decisions made in the High Court since 1989 and international case law, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

Changes to the Migration Act introduced into Parliament today by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison marks a new low in respect of Australia meeting its international human rights protections, and a new attack on procedural fairness and the separation of powers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The ALA's South Australian conference will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel, Adelaide on Friday. Featuring Deputy Premier John Rau as keynote, Mr Rau will address the failings of South Australia's workers compensation scheme. The ALA continues to call for a fundamental overhaul of the scheme.

The High Court’s decision in Plaintiff S156-2013 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection highlights the lack of adequate protections in Australia’s migration law, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance appears at the Senate Inquiry into the incident at Manus Island today. In our submission, we asserted that the Commonwealth has a non-delegable duty of care to asylum seekers that continues to exist regardless of where they are being detained.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance supports the stand taken today by QLD Bar Association President, Peter Davis QC, who has resigned in protest of the government's appointment of Judge Tim Carmody as Chief Justice of Queensland.

This week, the Australian Lawyers Alliance NSW Committee provided our submission to the Centre for International Economics in its statutory review of the 2012 NSW workers compensation legislative amendments on behalf of the Office of Finance and Services.

Today’s announcement of a drop in WorkCover premiums for employers proves the Newman Government’s changes to the workers’ compensation scheme, rammed through Parliament last year, were unnecessary, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

The ACT Human Rights Commission has released a human rights review of the conditions for women imprisoned at Alexander McConachie Centre in the ACT. The Australian Lawyers Alliance has welcomed the report's release.

Revelations that the Commonwealth knew of security flaws at Manus Island may strengthen claims by asylum seekers who have suffered injuries as a result of security breaches, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian government may have a non-delegable duty of care to asylum seekers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today, in a submission to a Senate inquiry into the tragic death of Reza Berati on Manus Island.

Injured workers, people with disability, and people living with chronic illness will bear the burden of rising healthcare costs proposed by the Commission of Audit, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Federal government’s proposal to allow employers to shift workers into the Comcare system will take away vital support for injured workers and dilute health and safety protections nationwide, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

A man who spent five years tirelessly defending the innocence of an Australian man facing criminal charges overseas has been announced as the winner of this year’s Australian Lawyers Alliance Queensland Civil Justice Award.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance notes the calls from the Roman Catholic Church and other churches for a national compensation fund in response to the ongoing suffering of victims of institutional abuse.

Breaking research by the Australian Lawyers Alliance, revealed this week at a Senate Inquiry into Australia’s aid program, reveals that one of Indonesia’s poorest provinces continues to suffer from the impacts of the Montara oil spill, which occurred in Australian waters of the Timor Sea in 2009.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is today stressing the importance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme being given full affordable and sustainable support from both sides of government to ensure it delivers the expectations of the community.

Voters in the Liberal-held seat of South Barwon have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Voters in the Liberal-held seat of Seymour have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Voters in the Independent seat of Frankston have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Voters in the Liberal-held seat of Bentleigh have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Four years ago, yesterday, the Montara wellhead, which exploded and left oil gushing unabated into the Timor Sea for 74 days, was finally plugged. A study by Australian authorities investigated the scope of the ecological disaster in Australian waters, but nothing has been done to evaluate its impact on our nearest neighbours who say their lives have been devastated as a result.

Injured workers rights are being slashed by Premier Barry O’Farrell, which is the only reason he and the Finance Minister were able to announce a NSW Compensation Scheme surplus, yesterday, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

“Lack of stakeholder engagement prior to altering long standing Victorian transport accident injury laws, is likely to lead to a costly increase in mental illness in the community,” the Australia Lawyers Alliance National President, Geraldine Collins, warned today.

A West Timorese small businessman, who distributes water pipes, is this year’s winner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance National Civil Justice Award, which recognises those that go beyond the call of duty to promote justice, freedom and the rights of the individual.

In 2013, the ALA presented its inaugural Emerging Lawyer of the Year Award. The award recognises an individual's dedication to social justice and is awarded to an individual within their first three years of practice that is seen as a future leader in the profession.

About 200 lawyers, politicians and academics from all over Australia are gathering at Rydges Lakeside Hotel in Canberra from Thursday until Saturday, this week, as part of the Australian Lawyers Alliance annual National Conference.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned that a Bill, before the Victorian Parliament, is changing the definition of what it means to have suffered a serious psychiatric injury. It appears the intent is to save the Transport Accident Commission money at the expense of injured people.

Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Rod Hodgson will be speaking on new polling that shows the Premier is at risk of losing the seat of Ashgrove as a result of the State Government’s proposed changes to Queensland’s WorkCover scheme today (Thursday) morning at Parliament House.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has welcomed the release of WorkCover Queensland’s latest Annual Report, which confirms the scheme remains the best in the country and is both financially stable and fair for employers, employees and taxpayers.

Almost $28 million has been spent by Australia on asylum seekers compensation claims since 2000. Of this, $21.1 million was for unlawful detention in 299 matters and $6.9 million for breaches of duty-of-care and statutory duties towards 150 others, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

“The fundamental right of Western Australians to be able to afford lifetime medical care following motor vehicle injury must be retained along side any new no-fault scheme or the quality of life for injury victims will be eroded,” Australian Lawyers Alliance personal injury spokesman Asanka Gunasekera said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling on the winner of this weekend’s federal election to adopt compassionate asylum seeker policies and in doing so both improve access to justice for some of the world’s most vulnerable and give Australia’s international reputation a boost at the same time.

Untold human misery, suffering and a stimulation of the people smuggling trade to Australia is being created by poor Australian Government response to a massive 2009 oil spill in Australian waters, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is backing the Law Institute of Victoria and the Victorian Bar Association’s call for the Victorian and federal governments to immediately review funding for legal aid saying more than a decade of inadequate funding has taken a significant toll on Victorians’ ability to access justice.

“A potential misunderstanding that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a form of insurance has prompted some underwriters to warn that the scheme, now called DisabilityCare, does not safeguard families from economic loss resulting from death and incapacity,” the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

A highly respected judge, who deliberated on an Australian man’s potential deportation for Nazi war crimes, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Australian Lawyers Alliance WA Conference on Friday.

Australia’s treatment of asylum seeking detainees may be considered akin to torture and urgent measures were needed to protect such vulnerable people under law, the Australian Lawyers Alliance warned today.

Harsh and unjust asylum seeker policy, which is continuing under the new Rudd Government leadership, puts asylum seekers at risk of further trauma and, as a consequence, Australian taxpayers under increasing financial burden to compensate for the afflictions that such policies create, The Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

Senator Nick Xenophon is one of several high profile speakers to address the Australian Lawyers Alliance South Australian Conference on Friday as part of a program focussing on recent changes to South Australia’s CTP scheme.

“Since March 2012 the SA government has led the public to believe that the CTP scheme needed to be reformed to ensure its financial viability into the future. The 2013 SA Budget has shown that the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) has a healthy surplus and the SA government has wasted no time in helping itself to the surplus,” ALA SA President Patrick Boylen said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling on the Roman Catholic Church to put its money where its mouth is and use the vast wealth of assets at its disposal to properly compensate victims who fell and continue to fall prey to paedophile priests.

Vulnerable children removed from their natural parents because of drugs, mental illness, violence and neglect, will be made even more vulnerable if new NSW compensation legislation is passed through parliament next week, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said.

Badly formed laws, which have the potential to destroy many vulnerable people’s lives, are more likely to pass through NSW Parliament, if a push by the O’Farrell government to gag community legal centres from speaking out against injustice is allowed to go ahead.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned about planned unexplained wealth laws, soon to be tabled in Tasmanian parliament, after Attorney-General, Brian Wightman, flagged an upcoming Bill on the issue.

“The Anglican Survey of Child Sexual Abuse by clergy in the Brisbane area showed an average time from abuse to first complaint of 19.5 years,” Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Dr Andrew Morrison SC said today.

Lawyer, Michael ‘Dan’ Mori, who represented David Hicks against charges of being an enemy combatant of the United States, will speak at The Australian Lawyers Alliance Victorian Conference in Lorne this weekend.

NSW Compulsory Third Party insurance changes, introduced into parliament this week, and said by the government to be ‘fairer and more affordable’, are actually harming the very people they are designed to protect, reducing benefits and payment periods, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today called on the federal government to remove a nine-year-old Sri Lankan boy, recently orphaned, from Christmas Island, to save him from exacerbated psychological trauma.

Victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, some abused for many years and who have debilitating physical and psychological injuries, as well as dependent children, will face an uncertain future under a Bill before NSW Parliament, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned that the rights of a boatload of Sri Lankan men, women and children who reached WA on Tuesday are being ignored as Australia continues to flout its international obligations to asylum seekers.

“The catastrophically injured and their carers are having their futures thrown into doubt after the federal government announced changes to superannuation laws on Friday that are likely to mean that their compensation payments will run out early,” the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today commended the Federal Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, for not rushing consideration of the anti-discrimination bill or the reading and deliberation of submissions pertaining to the Bill, which may have resulted in substandard legislation.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today commended the South Australian Government for its initiative and vision in bringing about a new review process for criminal convictions with fresh and compelling evidence upon which to base further enquiry.

“The fact that one asylum seeker, out of tens of thousands, has been charged with a criminal offence should not lead to a further erosion of the already limited rights of asylum seekers in the community,” ALA criminal law spokesman, Greg Barns, said today.

The New South Wales government’s proposed continuing detention laws for serious sex offences or violent crimes are possibly unconstitutional and are likely to meet a High Court challenge, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today told an Adelaide public hearing on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) that the Bill, in its present form, would not adequately protect the rights of those with disabilities.

Proposed changes to the NSW green slip scheme, announced by the NSW Government on Sunday, could increase insurance costs for families and put them at risk of losing their homes if the main breadwinner is involved in a serious accident.

More than 350 lawyers and legal academics will fill the main conference room of the Sheraton Mirage Hotel, this weekend, as part of the annual Australian Lawyers Alliance two-day Queensland Conference.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today expressed concern over the federal government’s plan to remove privilege against self-incrimination and to compel witnesses in Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) investigations.

Vitally important legal rights could be lost and some people with disabilities potentially left worse off under current draft NDIS legislation, according to peak legal body the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today welcomed news from the Federal Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, that she would revisit the exposure draft of the Government’s proposed anti-discrimination reforms – in particular the section removing the prohibition of causing offence.

Endless and unfair bureaucratic processes foisted on vulnerable accident victims were the biggest factors in the NSW third party insurance scheme’s inefficiency, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

Australian and state peak legal bodies, the Australian Lawyers Alliance and the SA Law Society, are welcoming the SA CTP insurance White Paper report by SA Treasurer Jack Snelling, but warned administrative review was crucial to success of any such scheme.

Australian Lawyers Alliance member John Suta, who acts on behalf of nine members of the Wangaratta-based Tramps Motorcycle Club, today expressed serious doubts as to whether the proposed Victorian government legislation, to outlaw bikie gangs, will be legally enforceable in the state.

A new pro bono collaborative committee, to help everyday Australians better access justice, is being formed between the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) and the National Pro Bono Resource Centre based at the University of NSW Law Faculty.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance has labelled as ‘abysmal’ the Australian government’s failure to ensure 14 asylum seekers, facing rioting charges in a Nauru court, are given proper legal representation.

“Cardinal George Pell must publicly acknowledge the widespread existence of child sexual abuse within the Australian Roman Catholic Church if he is genuinely concerned for victims and wants their true healing to start,” Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Andrew Morrison SC said today.

The NSW Government should immediately examine the extent of use by police of Taser guns following damming findings given today by Coroner, Mary Jerram, into the death of Brazilian student, Laudisio Curti.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling on the federal government to draw knowledge from Ireland’s victim restitution methods of 2009 when it comes time to consider how best to help compensate Australian institutional abuse victims as part of the Federal Royal Commission just announced.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance says a full, wide-ranging NSW Royal Commission into child sexual abuse in religious institutions is the only way of ensuring true justice is served for hundreds abused as children while in the care of religious institutions in the state.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance has renewed its call for a NSW Royal Commission into child sex abuse in religious institutions following further evidence by a senior police officer on the extent of abuse and alleged cover up practices in the Newcastle Hunter region.

A manufactured deficit of $1billion on NSW Government’s books, which arose because of 37 accounting errors of more than $20 million each, looks like having indirectly played a role in winding back the financial entitlements of injured workers, Australian Lawyers Alliance NSW Committee member, Cliff Baker, writes.

"No-fault schemes contribute to death and injury in New Zealand as the removal of liability reduces incentive to optimise safety standards and to act with care towards fellow community members,” Australian Lawyers Alliance National President, Tony Kerin said today.

“Most lawyers have a high level of confidential information on their computers, yet a survey of the profession, last year, found that 21% of all large law firms and 15% of other firms suffered a security breach in that time,” solicitor and consulting ethicist, Neil Watt, told the Australian Lawyers Alliance conference in Adelaide today.

For the first time since the media announced a “public liability crisis” in 2002, the pendulum is starting to swing back towards the rights of the injured to redress within our courts, lawyer Travis Schultz told the Australian Lawyers Alliance National Conference in Glenelg today.

Contrary to NSW Government assertions that recently introduced austere workers compensation laws would not be retrospective, a matter decided in the NSW Workers Compensation Commission yesterday, shows that, in fact, they will.

David Manne, the lawyer who dashed federal government’s plans to process asylum seekers in Malaysia, is one of several dignitaries presenting at this year’s Australian Lawyers Alliance National Conference in Glenelg, South Australia this week.

A significant deterioration in South Australian WorkCover’s performance has resulted in unfunded liabilities increasing from $1.billion to $1.4 billion the Auditor-General’s report tabled in parliament, yesterday, reveals.

“The Community Protection Website, released today by the WA Government, will not assist in reducing sex offences or making the community safer in WA,” Australian Lawyers Alliance director, barrister and criminal law spokesman, Greg Barns, said.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance says that the pledge by Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, today, to spend $50 million for additional CCTV cameras around Australia to monitor people’s movements in response to Jill Meagher’s death, does not take account of privacy concerns and potential misuse of cameras to profile groups and individuals.

A lawyer representing the family of a man who died in a Northern Territory watchhouse, earlier this year, has labelled the Deputy Chief Minister’s announcement today, not to discipline the officers who contributed to his death, as shameful.

“The greater use of surveillance cameras by the Victorian Police and local government, as announced by Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu today, will not necessarily improve the detection of crime and comes with serious policy implications attached,” Australian Lawyers Alliance director and Criminal Barrister, Greg Barns, said.

Nine members of the Wangaratta-based Tramps Motorcycle Club have had their firearms, some of which are needed to work jobs and farming properties, confiscated by Victorian Police because of alleged prejudice and false assumption.

Proposed laws announced by NSW Attorney-General, Greg Smith, today, enabling violent offenders to be kept in prison beyond the term imposed by a court or only released subject to strict limits on their freedom, failed the fairness test, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The right of individuals to remain silent when being interrogated by police is a fundamental human right reflected in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in Canadian and US human rights laws and for New South Wales Attorney-General Greg Smith to give the community only 10 days to comment on his proposal to dismantle that right is appalling, said the Australian Lawyers Alliance today.

A national non-profit legal organisation that has been calling for a National Inquiry into abuses in religious institutions as well as vocalising concerns about treatment of asylum seekers, children, mandatory sentencing and excessive police powers, will hold its annual ACT conference in Canberra on Friday.

“Professional people smugglers aren’t the only occupation trading in human misery in Australia – opportunistic politicians are capitalising on fear and ignorance with a quick easy vote-grab that harshly punishes some of the world’s most vulnerable people,” Australian Lawyers Alliance National President, Tony Kerin, said today.

After much negotiation, NSW has announced it will provide an extra $35 million to support the rollout of a National Disability Insurance Scheme in the Hunter region to help 10,000 people with significant disability.

Victims of trafficking and slavery within Australia need better assistance under Australian law to ensure greater opportunities to heal from their traumatic experiences, the Australian Lawyers Alliance told a federal Inquiry into the issue in Canberra today.

Concerns about Newstart Allowance payment inadequacy and the transition from alternative payments such of WorkCover has prompted the Australian Lawyers Alliance to submit to and appear before an Inquiry on the subject today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is welcoming yesterday’s announcement by the Gillard Government of an end to mandatory sentencing for those crewing people smuggling vessels, but says those wrongly sentenced, under such laws, should now have their situations addressed.

The National Disability Insurance and National Injury Insurance Schemes, being advanced by the Federal Government, are being discussed in Perth today (Friday 24 August) by lawyers at the coalface of personal injury law.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance annual WA Conference in Perth on Friday promises a diverse and cutting edge program with presentations from the Western Australian Governor, high profile judges and specialist barristers and lawyers.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is expressing concern that the ACT Government’s 2011 CTP Amendment Bill, due for parliamentary debate on Wednesday, will leave many traffic accident victims with an inability to financially sustain themselves throughout their lives.

“The jailing of an impoverished Indonesian fisherman in South Australia last Thursday, in what the trial judge labelled as the 'lowest level of involvement' for a people smuggling crime, is highlighting unjust Australian laws that discriminatorily incarcerate people,” Australian Lawyers Alliance National President, Tony Kerin, said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is expressing disbelief that the O’Farrell Government would strike at the heart of democratic principles with an attack on every NSW citizen’s right to silence by amending such a law.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today congratulated the Federal Government on its landmark High Court win upholding the constitutionality of its plain packaging tobacco legislation against the challenge of tobacco companies.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance today welcomed an expert panel decision to increase the intake of asylum seekers into Australia, but is concerned about a recommendation for offshore processing in countries that can not guarantee the health and welfare of asylum seekers.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is today urging restraint on the part of the media and the alleged victims of former Hey Dad star Robert Hughes, following prejudicial comments in the media that could impinge on Mr Hughes right to a fair trial.

“Organisers behind people smuggling stand to make windfall profits from each boat, however the skippers and crews of these vessels are often just additional victims of this trade in human misery,” Australian Lawyers Alliance Northern Territory spokesman, Greg Phelps, said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling on the Australian Government to pay compensation to children who have been illegally detained in this country on suspicion of people smuggling following the release of a damning Human Rights Commission report on the matter today.

“Lack of structural detail for a National Disability Insurance Scheme will only exacerbate likely delays in rolling it out, following failure of all parties to agree on funding contributions at yesterday’s Council of Australian Governments meeting,” the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is expressing concern, today, that a new Commonwealth-funded police taskforce, being installed to manage violence in the Northern Territory, may create more harm than good.

The ALA calls for a brief to be prepared by the police for the DPP in respect of the conduct of all three senior priests involved in the meeting at St Mary’s Cathedral on 3 September 1992, following the radio interview with Father Usher on ABC AM this morning.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance renews its calls for a national inquiry into the abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church. It is unacceptable for the Church to investigate its own failure to investigate child sexual abuse.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling for a National Royal Commission into abuse of children in the care of the Catholic Church, following an ABC Four Corners program on Monday night that assisted in publicly ventilating the issue.

“Traumatised families struggling to cope with horrific deaths of loved ones are being forced into financial hardship following the O’Farrell Government’s cuts to WorkCover compensation last month,” the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

The Federal Government’s recklessness in pushing through parliament, with the support of some Opposition MPs, racist legislation, that sets the rights of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory back decades, will not go unchallenged, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

“Two bills concurrently being considered by the Australian Federal Parliament flag the urgent need for a Federal Human Rights Act to protect the rights of the marginalised and disadvantaged,” Australian Lawyers Alliance National President, Greg Barns, said today.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance expressed concern today at news the Victorian Government is introducing new laws to limit and streamline the use of expert evidence in civil trials, fearing it will hinder access to justice in the courts.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance has expressed its disbelief that the O’Farrell Government has pushed new severe workers compensation measures through the NSW Legislative Council yesterday, just five days after it tabled its report.

“The attempt by the South Australian Labour Government to again erode the right to be awarded costs in claims in prosecutions, which fail in summary hearings, shows disregard for the parliamentary process,” Australian Lawyers Alliance South Australian President, Tony Kerin, said.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into no fault schemes and the impact of such schemes on the lives of injury victims, following the presentations of keynote speakers and panel experts at its SA Conference in Glenelg yesterday.

The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned that the mismanagement, which has eroded NSW WorkCover making it financially unsustainable, may be replicated in other insurance models such as the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme and National Injury Insurance Scheme, unless greater transparency is adopted in government processes.